Ohjelmamme tukee nuorten työllistymistä Saharan eteläpuolisessa Afrikassa, Lähi-idässä ja Ukrainassa.

Funding for both the development cooperation programme and humanitarian aid for YMCA Finland – We support young people in building more sustainable and just societies

December 4, 2025

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland has granted YMCA Finland a total of €5.4 million in development cooperation programme and humanitarian aid support for the years 2026–2029. Of this funding, €3.4 million will be allocated to the development cooperation programme and €2 million to humanitarian work. Our programme promotes young people’s rights, access to education, employment, and psychosocial support, and strengthens local civil societies.

We work holistically and locally

YMCA Finland’s new development cooperation programme, Youth Resilience: Shaping the Future for 2026–2029, combines humanitarian aid, development cooperation, and peacebuilding. It forms part of Finland’s foreign, security, and development policy, which aims to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, uphold the rule of law, promote human rights, foster stable civil societies, and support long-term peace efforts. In particular, the UN Youth, Peace and Security Resolution (YPS) and its agenda guide our work both at the grassroots level and in the implementation of national action programmes.

Programme support for 2026–2029 was granted to 23 Finnish organisations out of 26 applicants.

The development cooperation programme seeks not only to respond to acute needs but also to address the root causes of instability in our partner countries by promoting social recovery and resilience. The goal of the YMCA’s humanitarian efforts is to deliver coordinated, high-quality assistance during conflicts and crises, safeguard people’s physical and mental well-being, and establish conditions conducive to recovery.

YMCA Finland works with its YMCA partners in the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, and Ukraine. The programme particularly supports young people living in fragile countries and vulnerable situations, such as young women, people with disabilities, and refugees, promoting their well-being, participation, and rights.

Young people shaping the future

Globally, nearly a quarter of young people aged 15–30 live in conflict-affected countries, and about 90 per cent reside in developing countries. In our partner countries, young people also constitute a large proportion of the population and encounter significant barriers to education, employment, and establishing a secure daily life.

Our work centres on young people’s right to shape their future and on strengthening local communities to foster lasting peace and development. We believe that youth empowerment and social participation are crucial for a more stable and sustainable future.

“Young people are beginning to shape tomorrow in the present, right now. By strengthening their skills and opportunities to influence, we are laying the foundation for a more just and peaceful world”, says Juha Virtanen, Secretary General of YMCA Finland.

Through our development cooperation programme, over 25,000 young people will gain psychosocial, educational, and livelihood support, along with skills to shape their future, over four years. Nearly 16,000 individuals will also benefit from humanitarian aid.

We support our local partners

Our YMCA partners, who are locally rooted and trusted within their communities, operate independently but are also part of an international YMCA network spanning 120 countries, supported by shared values.

Our partners’ work is rooted in local ownership and expertise, helping them develop sustainable, effective, and community-led solutions. Deep local knowledge is essential for addressing needs caused by diverse circumstances. Partnerships also promote equality and facilitate the integration of our development cooperation programme into local systems. YMCA Finland supports its partners by enhancing their operational capacity, independence, and local leadership.

“The long-term presence and established position of our partners in their communities are a prerequisite for our work, not only in humanitarian crises but also in long-term development cooperation”, explains Liisa Perkkiö, Head of International Programme.

MK-festivaali-2024-Suomen NMKYn Liiton GK-nuoria@Martiina Woodson

Our humanitarian efforts are centred on Ukraine

The humanitarian aid funding received by YMCA Finland is directed towards supporting children and young people living near the front lines in eastern Ukraine, whose daily lives are overshadowed by ongoing insecurity and the losses caused by war. The objectives of the activities carried out by three local YMCA associations in Ukraine are to enhance the safety, well-being, and learning opportunities of children and young people through various means, including psychosocial support, remedial education, the distribution of school supplies, and landmine safety training.

The EU ECHO partnership granted to YMCA Finland in spring 2025 was a prerequisite not only for EU-funded humanitarian aid work but also for securing funding from the Finnish government. Humanitarian aid partnership is a natural extension of the global organisation’s work, as the YMCA has over a century of experience in humanitarian and refugee efforts.